The Perfect ProportionsFrom Menarche to Menopause

A large amount of study has been done on female body shape and attractiveness. This research shows that across cultures both males and females have a particular shape they prefer on the female physique, which is the hourglass shape. This means a waist to hip ratio (WHR) from 0.7 to0.8, and a waist to chest ratio (WCR) that is also from 0.7 to 0.8. The perfect female proportions would be something like 36:26:36 (chest:waist:hips).

Based on this proportions, women could be smaller, larger, taller, or shorter. The relative proportions of waist to chest and hips dominate the attractiveness factor for females. This is important because as the waist to hip ratio (WHR) rises much above 08, this is an indication that the hormonal situation could be changing.

The hormonal situation determines where fat is stored. To lose fat need calory deficit and hormonal balance. The typical fat distribution for women is to store more fat in the bust and hips/butt/thighs and less fat in the waist. This is the primary role estrogen plays in female physiology.

Early adolescence girls with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) are dissatisfied with the way they look. This is a syndrome based on anincreased level of male hormones that could afflict women with irregular periods, skin (acne), hair and weight problems. The feeling that they don’t fit in,shapes many aspects of their life. They may become obsessed with their body image and feel less than feminine. Girls learn early to tie self-esteem to certain body shapes and flawless skin which is reinforces by the media.

Menopausal women may not gain weight, but their bodily proportions change. This is the influence of estrogen and progesterone. As estrogen/progesterone fall, and testosterone, cortisol, and insulin rise, the bodily proportions change.

Cortisol is associated with stress and more stress reactive women release more cortisol; and have higher amounts of belly fat wether they are thin or overweight, Overweight and underweight women both struggle with belly fat and higher waist to hip ratios are found in both thin women and overweight women. Adrenaline and noradrenaline are release during intense exercise and have a strong fat burning impact on visceral fat and a weaker fat burning impact on subcutaneous fat. Stress managementsuch as no more sleep deprivation and nutritional depletion is quintessential.Over exercising, chronic and extreme dieting, worries of body image, work worries, relationship tension are more stress reactive and less able to adapt to .

Discussing “fatloss”often gets misintepreted as if we are saying women “should” look a certain way.Excess fat, especially around the abdomen has health implications and losing it is beneficial .Unfortunately in our society self-image and body image are tightly connected, it becomes extremely difficult for women especially to feel good if they are not satisfied with their appearance Beauty should be redefined means that we should start to teach people everywhere to recognize and reject harmful messages about female bodies in media and cultural discourse. Beauty goes far beyond a particular look or shape since every woman is beautiful.